


The Emptiness You Left

by DarkestShadowRaven



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Bittersweet Ending, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Dream Team SMP Angst (Video Blogging RPF), Flirting, Goodbyes, Grief/Mourning, Internal Conflict, Love Confessions, M/M, One Shot, Post-Manberg-Pogtopia War on Dream Team SMP (Video Blogging RPF), Short & Sweet, Short One Shot, Snow
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 22:20:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28820631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkestShadowRaven/pseuds/DarkestShadowRaven
Summary: The plan to escape the prison that Dream has commissioned goes horribly wrong, and George is unaware of the situation until he encounters his best friend in the form of a ghost. Feelings and emotions begin to spiral out as George attempts to help Dream with his unfinished business on the SMP before ascending into the afterlife. Doubts continuously surface in George’s mind as he battles with his personal and secretive reasons for wanting his best friend to stay by his side forever.
Relationships: Clay | Dream/GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Kudos: 15





	The Emptiness You Left

**Author's Note:**

> Helloo :) Soo I wrote this at 5 am when I was procrastinating my actual essays and decided to slightly edit it and actually post this, I've never written about DNF before (my first attempt) If you stumble across this then I hope you will enjoy it. It is very much dialogue based, because that is the way I pictured it in my head. I created this scenario where the prison that Dream commissioned ended with his personal imprisonment. THIS IS NOT CANON. Just thought this aspect of the story is quite cool. Once again hope you enjoy!!

The snow was falling heavily, and his hands were starting to turn numb, but the physical pain was the least of George's worries. His small physique was seated beside the frozen lake, which he kept coming back to every night, an ironic cure for his insomnia. The howling wind placed gentle kisses upon his cheeks, turning them rosy. There weren't any tears shed, at least not at this moment as he breathed in the icy air, which felt to him like swallowing sharp needles. Everyone else on the SMP was celebrating, it should have been the new beginning, but it felt like it might have been the inevitable end to George. His mind drifted off to his best friend, and with that thought, the burning sensation from the salty tears returned as they began to cloud his vision. The plan has failed, but how? 

Dream was smart; he would have made sure there was a loophole, he always thinks—thought—in advance. _Then how could all of this have gone so badly wrong?_ The question would not leave George for days; it haunted him during his most vulnerable state, the night. Its sinister darkness surrounding him without Dream being there to protect him. _Dream, please_. Silence. Where was he? _It will be okay, George, I promise_. He broke that promise, didn't he? The last conversation that they have shared remains on repeat in the grieving boy's mind, it did not let him sleep, and if he did, it brought up nightmares of the night that he might never be able to forget.

'I should have been there,' the boy exclaims into the empty space in the midst of his painful sobs. _I could have done something_ , a moment passes, 'if you could have for once, just let me HELP!' The pain is unbearable, George knew that Dream was not the nicest person on the server, but that did not bother him. He was _his_ Dream, after-all. Through all the pain that he had caused the others, he could not help but see a different side of him, a side that no one truly got to witness but him. 

'George,' a voice calls out in a gentle whisper. _No, you are imagining things now_. 'George.' _Stop it_. The boy clenched his eyes shut and let a few tears fall before saying, 'this is all in my head.' 

'Look at me, George.' It couldn't be him. _Stop it, please_. And then he felt it, a sudden warmth radiating onto his fragile body as he looked up. There he was, his Dream. He looked different, his skin was drained of its colour, and his outline had a little glow of golden light. _Is this real?_ George blinked a few times as he stared at the glowing boy towering over him. As he opened his mouth in an attempt to say something -anything- no words would come out. 

'It's me, George,' the boy was in a state of shock. He could not grasp the ideas of what was wrong yet. 

'You-you are here,' George could not believe his eyes; his breath got caught in his throat as he leaped up to his feet and stared at his best friend. _He is alive_. 'You did it! I knew you could do it, Dream. I can't believe that I ever doubted you.' His arms flew open as he went to catch Dream in a tight embrace, and as they passed the golden light, they were not stopped. They went right through the boy. As George stared at his best friend in disbelief, he saw a bittersweet smile appear on his face. _No_. The boy examined his hands and began to panic.

'I am sorry-' Dream's voice broke as he took in the image in front of him, his best friend's heart shattering into a thousand broken shards of glass. 'I-I didn't want to put you in danger. You- you know I had to do this myself.' The words stung like burning iron rod stabbing George all over his defeated body. _But you didn't do it_. The boy began to slowly shake his head; he was not ready to accept this. 

The moment was so beautiful and so broken as the two boys stood underneath the fast-falling snow, with not a single word exchanged. They were reunited once more, in some aspect. But it was not enough; it was not the way this reunion should have happened. _This can't be real_. George sunk back into the snow and began to weep. His whole body was shaking uncontrollably, and there was nothing to be done. 

'You are-,' before George could even finish a sentence, the other boy replied, 'a ghost.' The pain took control of George's body yet again. _Why did it have to be him?_ There were so many words left unsaid from their last encounter, and now neither of them had the strength to say them aloud. Dream commissioned the prison for Tommy, only to end up in it himself. He knew he was going to end up there and promised George that there was a way out for him. A way for him to return back to George. A way to come back _home_. Only the plan was far from perfect and was proved to be so. 

'What am I meant to do now, Dream?' George slowly exhaled. He tried to calm himself down, just like Dream has taught him— _deep breaths_. Inhale -pause- exhale. _Good_. 'I guess I truly am alone now.'

'Don't say that,' Dream winced at the boy's comment. He never would have wanted his best friend to feel alone in this world. 'I am technically still here.'

'As a ghost,' George snapped. Dream eyes widened; he did not anticipate this reaction. Both of them longed for an embrace at that moment. They needed to comfort one another. Dream needed to show that _this_ was better than nothing. _Is it?_

After a long period of silence, the two broken boys found themselves sitting next to each other. They were both so close, yet so far. Some would picture them as distant stars, visible for one another and located light-years away. The boys were burning and shining for each other; it kept them warm in their frozen surroundings. 

'Do I get to have a cute nickname now?' Dream teased, he wanted to break the awkward silence and ease the easily palpable tension between them. 'How about Ghostream? Or Ghream? Now that I think about it, it doesn't have a nice ring to it.' The boy mused, and the tension began to melt away.

'You're such an idiot,' George could not help but smile at the silly comments. Laughter filled the frosty air, and for a second, it seemed as if nothing ever went wrong in their lives. They were together at last.

'Don't speak ill of the dead now,' the boy warned as he readjusted his mask and let it settle over his face. George reached out with his hand in an attempt to remove it but stopped short once he remembered that he could no longer physically touch Dream. _This is my personal hell_. When the masked boy realised that no sassy remark was made to his statement, he peeked at George by lifting up his mask. 

  
'Why are you here now, Dream?' The boy did not dare to meet his best friend's gaze, which he felt burning into him. _Stop staring_. George shifted uncomfortably in his seated position, slightly moving away from the boy. 'Am I not allowed to be here?' Dream continued to tease, but it was not the right moment in the slightest. He was greeted by silence. 'Well, I guess some might say that ghosts stay when they still have some unfinished business.' The boy chuckled, it was a wild guess and an attempt to keep the conversation going. 

'You have unfinished business?' George gave him an _oh-really_ look, he did not believe in that, not with Dream. It saddened him, knowing that Dream might be stuck here to fulfil some bigger destiny and not spend more time with him, to comfort him of his recent passing. The blonde boy was stuck in the world with a possible duty, and George would have to help him with it. As much as he didn't want Dream to leave, he knew that he wanted him to find his peace. 

'I guess so,' George hummed in response and quickly asked, 'do you know what it might be?' If anyone could figure it out, it would be the two of them together. Dream appeared to be caught in his own thoughts as he went over everything that could be left for him to finish. The sun began to rise, and the snow started to fall slowly, shortly coming to a halt. 'Nothing that I can think of, really. Maybe I need to stab Tommy and take him down with me! That bastard thought he could get rid of me without going down. Then again, I do not feel as if that is my purpose.' 

'We will figure it out,' Dream could not help but smile at George's quick response; he knew the boy would support him no matter what. After all, it was always them against the world. 

———————————————————————————————————————————

'Anything?' The blonde boy shook his head in response. They have gone through every option of a possible unfinished business that Dream might have left on the SMP, but nothing seemed to particularly stand out to either of them. 'This is harder than I thought it would be,' George groaned. As much as he wanted his best friend to stay with him forever, frozen in a little euphoria they have created during the past days; eventually, he would have to leave him, and as his last memory with Dream, he needed to be the one to help him.

Dream took a sharp breath in and collapsed onto the ground; his body met the soft snow with an open embrace, as a ghost, he couldn't feel its chilliness. 'This is useless.' _He is right_. They were starting to lose hope, but to George, it merely meant that he got to spend more time with his friend.

'How about we go over the list of possible things again?' A suggestion was met with a complaint from Dream 'we have already done that so many times today!' They have. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, the possibilities were endless, but none of them were personally calling out to Dream.

'Can we watch the stars again tonight? I think that helped me feel something last time,' George could feel Dream's excitement, but he knew that they had to stick to their task if they wanted to eventually figure it out. 'No, we have to figure this out. No wasting time.' That was not what the boy wanted to say, and he could see the hurt display itself in those green eyes. 'But-'

'I have to help you leave; otherwise, what kind of friend will I be,' George made him stop mid-sentence. He was losing his mind over the whole situation; his main priority was helping his best friend figure it all out. Why do I feel so useless? He began to doubt himself. If he couldn't do this for Dream, he would consider himself no friend at all. 

After a brief moment of silence and frustration, Dream softly replied, 'what if I don't want to leave, George?' It was more of a hushed whisper. Maybe George was not meant to hear it at all. Their eyes locked, and George's heart began to race. _Fuck_. The blonde boy always made it difficult for George, but he knew that he could never act on it. It would have ruined their friendship. _Not now_. The reply comes out as more of a stutter 'wh-what?'

'I mean, what if I stayed, here, with you,' this was all that George could have ever wanted, but why did that feel so wrong at that moment. _This isn't right_. At this point, his heart was doing backflips as he tried his best not to get lulled into the idea. Just him and Dream, together. _Together_. This was too good to be true. 'You're crazy.' He needed to stop this before it got too far. He couldn't attach himself to something that was not truly there. Dream was not here. This was only a fragment of him, a version that would never exist in the real world.

'It's not that crazy if you think about it,' he was testing him; Dream wanted to see how far he could take it before George would have enough and give in to the temptation. _This isn't real_. 'We could always look out for each other.' _Stop_. It was hurting the boy more than giving him hope. George needed to have the final say in this. 'This is not what you need, Dream,' the reply was sharply worded. The blonde boy needed to be pushed out of his idealised world that they created. It wasn't a reality. But it was beautiful. _This has to stop_. And all the beautiful things have to break eventually.

'You are right,' George didn't expect that reply. The real Dream is back. Suddenly the tense atmosphere returned, and it was all too much for the boy to take a full breath. He was crushed by the response, but he had to do what was right. 'This is what I want,' and just like that, everything froze. Five words, those five words caused the air to leave George's lungs. He could suddenly feel the whole world surrounding him as he was preparing for his downfall. He flew too close to the sun. George's mind was searching for the right words, a way to turn this situation around as his heart was on the edge of exploding in his chest. 'You are talking nonsense. It's this ghost form of yours taking over,' he tried to make his words seem strong, but they failed him in the end and came out as a mere mumble.

'Bullshit, you know I'd always pick to stay with you if I had the choice,' the whole world stopped for George. _He would pick me_. The moment brought him lightness that he never got to experience before. The boys were floating in ecstasy; nothing else seemed to matter. If the world ceased to exist, neither would mind, for they found their happiness and chose to cling to it for however long they had left. 'Why?' George felt out of breath, and his best friend could have all of it if it meant that he got to feel this way again. 

'What do you mean why? We are best friends, are we not?' His subtle smile made George feel weak. He was ready to embrace his fall with open arms. George imagined himself soaring over the skies and not feeling a single burn of the melting wax dripping on his body. He rejoiced as he kept falling down into the unknown, and his thoughts remained with Dream, _his Dream_.

  
'Yeah,' there was no more fear left within, only the deep desire that he shielded for so long from the person closest to him. The midnight sky erupted with a multitude of colours. George imagined falling amongst the embers and feeling them with his hands as they surrounded him like a sphere. _Will you catch me if I fall?_

'So are we watching the stars tonight?' Dream smirked at his best friend. 

———————————————————————————————————————————

They have arrived at the spot where George first encountered the ghost version of Dream, the snow began to fall, and he could not help but slightly shiver. Nothing about the world mattered for the boy anymore; all he ever truly wanted was in front of him. If only he could experience what it feels like to be in the blonde boy's embrace again. If only they could share it again and laugh in the universe's face. All of their memories together began to flood George's mind, but one proceeded to stand out. 

_It was a calm day on the SMP without a single soul in sight; the boys were sitting in the field full of flowers as the bees quietly buzzed around them. Dream was exhausted from yet another conflict that has recently occurred and let the silence comfort him as he sat beside George, who was making a flower crown out of daisies. The blonde boy admired the way George's eyebrows would furrow from the frustration of the flower stems breaking and how the sun would suddenly catch his eyes alight and turn them into fiery embers with a hint of gold. George became aware that he was being watched and shot a look of annoyance towards his friend, which was enough to make him smile brightly as their eyes met._

_'See anything you like?' His best friend didn't miss his chance to quickly respond, 'yes, you,' George rolled his eyes and went back to braiding the flower crown, which he was determined to finish. With the final remaining flower entangled, George exclaimed in happiness and triumph, 'I did it,' and placed the crown upon Dream's head._

_'This is stupid' Dream attempted to reach for the flower crown only to have his hands swatted away by George, 'do not touch my masterpiece,' the boy let the crown rest upon his head if that resulted in his best friend's happiness. Boys sat in a comfortable silence once again as they watched the sun travel through the sky and make its way towards the horizon. None of the violent battles on the server mattered at the end of the day because they knew that as long as they had one another, nothing else held any importance to them. Together, they were untouchable._

_'Why are you always involved in all the conflicts here,' George knew what the answer to his question would so he cut the blonde boy off before he could respond, 'sometimes I think you forget to live for yourself.'_

_'And what do you suggest I do?' The sun met the horizon, and the whole world seemed to set ablaze with the golden light. As they both stared out into the sunset, George replied, 'maybe you need an escape from all of this. Something you could always go to and enjoy.' Dream smiled in response and looked at the beautiful boy sitting next to him._

_'You are my escape.'  
_

'You're awfully silent,' and just like that, George was dragged back into reality. His eyes, which for a minute were filled with wonder, began to sadden. _He no longer exists_. There was nothing that the boy could do to bring his friend back to life, and knowing that crushed him. 'I'm just enjoying this moment.' _Liar_. The words continued to echo in George's mind. _You are my escape_. 

'Well, we can have this moment every night if you would like that,' he knew what Dream was doing, he was trying to make the best out of the dreadful situation they were in, but George could not blame him for trying. There was no use in responding; the answer was already clear that as long as Dream, or a version of him, was present in this world, he would dedicate all of his time to him. All of the time that was stolen from them. 

'George?' He met his best friend's eyes and was prepared to listen to whatever statement or question that would follow. 'We would be friends no matter what, right?' George didn't need to think twice. 'Of course.'

'Can I tell you something?' There was an underlining sense of guilt behind that question, and George didn't know where it would lead, but he carefully nodded anyway. 

'I knew the plan would never work.' _What?_ That was not what he expected to hear from Dream. His eyes widened, and he could feel the burning sensation returning to his eyes, but he didn't let the tears drop just yet. 'I knew the moment we came up with it, I- I just didn't want you to lose hope,' the words that left Dream's mouth were sharp as knives. _He knew_.

  
'You went in knowing you were going to die?' The silence was the only answer that he needed to positively confirm his question. George felt like he hit the bottom of the deep ocean and watched his surroundings turn to blur as the air slowly left his body. 'Why?' _Why_. It made no sense to him. His best friend chose to sacrifice himself willingly without ever letting him know. _Selfish_. Was he selfish?

'Because I knew that if they didn't take me down, they would go after those I love, and I could never do that to you,' Dream thought that he was being selfless and helping out his friends. This was not the sacrifice that George could ever appreciate, he would instead be dragged to hell and back if it meant that Dream would be safe. 'Do what?' George spat back, and the words came out rougher than what he intended them to sound. In Dream's eyes, he did the right thing, he picked the option that would guarantee everyone else's safety. 'I could never let you suffer for my cause.'

'And what if I would be okay with suffering for you?' The tears were on the verge of spilling, and George knew it was a matter of minutes before they would begin to uncontrollably roll down his face. 'Don't be stupid,' Dream was not prepared to listen to his best friend argue his way about something that was already done.

'I mean it,' George's voice became softer. He had to tell him the truth. 'I would suffer for you every single second if it meant that you would get what you wanted or, in this case, if it meant that you would be alive,' and just like that, the first tear fell. George suddenly became aware of the cold, and his body began to shiver. 'Those are some big statements, George.'

'Like I said, I mean it,' there was no point in hiding his emotions any longer if only George had the courage to say everything he thought was better left unsaid sooner. 'But why? All of this, for me?' George could see that Dream was slightly taken back by his confession.

'Because I-' the words suddenly became stuck at the back of George's throat. _Why is this so hard?_ The boy began to panic, but Dream could read his eyes as he lit up with understanding. The world around them turned into a blur as the two of them sat staring at each other. 'I just want you to come back to me,' the tears were now streaming down George's beautiful face, and he felt exposed. _He will hate me_. He had to look away. George felt ashamed that his best friend now probably realised his true feelings. The secret that George felt was hidden away, entirely out of anybody's reach, was now revealed. 

'Maybe one day,' Dream's voice was soft like honey. There was no anger or frustration left from the earlier argument. 'When the sun shines a little brighter, and we feel a little warmer.' Their faces were suddenly so close to each other, neither of them anticipated this outcome. George had to regain his courage and say what he has longed to say for so long. _You have to look at him_. He felt his whole body melting away as he met the entrancing green eyes. All the previous worries seemed to have been lifted. Something told George that at this moment, the person sitting right in front of him was not just a conjured up version of his best friend. _This is my Dream_. 'Because I-'

'I know,' the blonde boy's words came out in a hushed whisper that sent a slight shiver down George's spine. His eyes quickly glanced at Dream's lips, and that was all he had to do for the other boy to start leaning into the touch. Touch. George felt it, he could feel Dream's hand cupping his face as his thumb brushed against his salt-stained cheek. His whole body suddenly felt like it was on fire, he has never felt so alive. As he fluttered his eyes closed, he became ignited as he felt the softness of Dream's lips against his. It was a gentle kiss that had the power of melting everything away in their frozen surroundings. Dream kissed all of George's pain away. After a moment that felt like an eternity, even that would never have been enough, George pulled away. He needed to say the words he wanted Dream to know. 

'Because I love you.'

When George did not receive a response, he decided to open his eyes, praying that he was wrong. Only he was not. The tears began to slowly travel down his face, and the previous atmosphere filled with the warmth of passionate love was replaced by the freezing wind that chilled George right down to his bones as he became surrounded by emptiness _he_ left behind.


End file.
